1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to packages for packaging together a plurality of containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a container carrier which engages and holds in spaced relationship the upper ends of a plurality of containers, such as beverage cans.
2. Prior Art
Various carrier designs are known in the prior art for engaging and holding a plurality of containers in a package. For instance, separators made of plastic film with apertures through which the ends of containers are received are commonly used. Typical examples are found on "six packs" of beer or soft drink cans. Other designs include printed cartons or boxes which generally hold either six or twelve cans, and plastic shrink wrap around groups of six or twelve cans.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,250,564 and 3,515,272 disclose plastic films which engage and hold the upper ends of a group of cans and serve as carriers for carrying the unit or package of cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,582 discloses one form of box or carton type carrier, in which sub-cartons or secondary packages each containing a number of bottles are held in assembled relationship inside a wrapper which may be separated into sub-sections to expose the secondary packages. It appears from the disclosure in this patent that 24 bottles are assembled as a group inside the wrapper. The assembled bottles are, in turn, assembled in sub-groups of six bottles each inside secondary packages held together by the wrapper.
With the possible exception of U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,582, discussed above, the prior art carriers are designed exclusively for one specific group of containers, i.e. either 12 or 6. Thus, brewers or bottlers must prepare their production lines for the different groupings of cans, depending upon market demand. Similarly, retailers need to maintain stocks or inventory of each different configuration in order to satisfy demand for each type. It is difficult to predict what the demand will be and this results in the need to carry larger inventories, some of which are slow moving items or which have relatively short shelf life.
The basic package commonly used in the industry comprises 24 cans or bottles held assembled together by one of a number of package designs, such as cartons, trays, shrink wraps, etc. These 24-can cartons generally consist of either four "six packs" or two "twelve packs". As noted previously, the "six packs" and "twelve packs" are assembled by preparing the production lines at the bottler or brewer location for the specific package desired and then placing the appropriate number of "six packs" or "twelve packs" in a carton for handling and shipping. The retailer then typically removes the "six packs" or "twelve packs" from the cartons and displays them for sale. As noted previously, this requires maintenance of large inventories and extra handling.
In an effort to provide greater flexibility to the consumer in terms of the number of containers which he may conveniently select and carry, and yet still enable the retailer to display packages containing a number of cans or bottles, the industry has developed several package designs which permit one or more cans or bottles to be separated from the basic package by the consumer at the point of sale. Such designs are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,300,041, 3,759,378 and 3,948,388, all of which show carriers or holders for a plurality of cans in which separating means or tear lines and the like are provided to enable individual cans or sub-assemblies of cans to be separated from the basic package. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,515,272 and 3,540,582, discussed previously also disclose this basic concept.
All of these prior art devices either require the use of multiple package devices, i.e., a first holder or secondary package which secures together a number of containers which are then held assembled by a primary package or wrap, or individual cans are held to a separable holder by means of adhesive or the like. In either event, the bottler or brewer must prepare his production line for assembling the particular secondary package desired, e.g., either "six packs" or "twelve packs". The use of multiple package designs or wraps necessitates extra handling, cost and waste.